C is For
by Flashing The Floods
Summary: Crack xP A collection of crappy, pointless MCL oneshots. Crack fics, couple fics and/or friendship fics. Various genres and lengths. Contains het, femslash, slash, and numerous multishipping. Don't like any of that, don't read.
1. Charity Case

The sound of bedsprings sinking as another sat on the mattress alerted Castiel from his shallow doze. He rolled over onto his opposite side, blinking up at the visitor blearily. He'd sort of expected Nathaniel to show up, but didn't exactly welcome the other male's presence. "Go home," the redhead stated halfheartedly as he closed his eyes again.

"No," Nathaniel replied simply. He lightly brushed back Castiel's bangs and placed a hand on his forehead. The redhead exhaled a sigh that was hardly audible, putting up no resistance to the blonde's unusually gentle touch and silently taking comfort in its mild coolness. "You're really burning up." The slight hint of worry in Nathaniel's tone was enough to bring a smirk to Castiel's lips.

"It's not like you to give a shit about me," scoffed the redhead, charcoal eyes sliding open again. "Oh, shut up," Nathaniel deadpanned and slid his hand from Castiel's forehead, scarlet bangs falling back into place. Though he'd never admit it out loud, Castiel was disappointed the blonde pulled away.

"You should be more polite to people under the weather, . But what are you doing here anyway?"

"I brought some of your schoolwork."

"Well isn't that thoughtful." The redhead rolled his eyes and snorted. He then grabbed the comforter and pulled it up higher, feeling the unpleasant onset of more chills rack his spine. "It actually was thoughtful, considering how much work can swamp you when you fall behind. Not that I expected you to be grateful anyway…Hey…You're shivering." Nathaniel's frown set deeper in his face, golden gaze troubled. It was a look that made Castiel nominally satisfied and uncomfortable at the same time. "Aren't you just a genius, Nat," he scoffed dryly, "I would have never noticed until you pointed that out."

"Always a smart ass," the blonde remarked. It was the last thing he said before getting up and leaving a moment later. Castiel rolled onto his back, and coughed quietly, adjusting the comforter again. He was not-so-remotely saddened Nathaniel had left and tried to ignore this fact, closing his eyes once more. That, and all his other agitations managed to fade in the temporary escape of sleep.

It was a vaguely familiar touch that woke him not too long after, Nathaniel's palm smooth and cool on his forehead. "I thought you left," the redhead muttered as he peered up to the blonde, internally pleased that he was there. "I did," Nathaniel replied, slipping his hand from the redhead's forehead for the second time that day, "I went shopping." He held up a white plastic bag.

Castiel eyed the bag curiously. "And bought what?" Nathaniel shrugged. "Necessary items."

"Specific today, aren't we?"

Wordlessly the blonde pulled a folded quilt out of the bag, proceeded to unfold it, and spread it across the comforter. "H-Hey, don't do that. I don't want to be your charity case!" Castiel squirmed under the added warmth while Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "Really? That's just…You can be so stupid sometimes." He shook his head, sighing in exasperation.

"Well, you're stupid all the time!" The redhead shot back, voice painfully cracking on the last word. "Quit fighting me for once," Nathaniel murmured as he sat down on the bed. "Tch, like you don't instigate," Castiel retorted, rolling onto his side once again. The blonde mumbled something about stubbornness the redhead didn't quite catch and took a squarish bottle out of the plastic bag, opening it and carefully pouring the zaffre substance into the cap. Castiel scowled at his actions suspiciously. "Is that what I think it is?" Nathaniel glanced to him as he finished pouring, golden eyes glinting. "It's clearly medicine, so if that's what you're thinking, then yes." He held the filled cap out to the redhead, who continued to scowl. "It looks gross."

"Don't be a child, it'll make you feel better."

"…"

"Castiel."

"It. Looks. Gross."

"Then don't look at it, just take it."

"Eh…Don't have the energy to argue about it." Castiel sat up and brusquely took the cap of medicine from the blonde, gulping it down in a single bitter swallow. "Now was that so hard?" Nathaniel asked. Castiel shook his head. "No, but I didn't say it was hard, I said it looked gross. And it was." He grunted and passed the emptied cap back to Nathaniel, laying back down.

"I guess I'll be going then," The blonde said as he finished screwing the cap back on. He placed the bottle on the nightstand and glanced back to the redhead, seemingly waiting for a response.

"That's stupid, you just got here." It was the closet thing to "please stay" Castiel would ever say. Nathaniel understood the unspoken request. "I guess you're right. Scoot over some."

"You're so bossy."


	2. Catching a Squirrel

"So an inhabitant of the forest, huh? This ain't gonna be easy." Kim tsked and glanced around the trees. Violette murmured her agreement, sticking close to the taller female. "I think we should try for a squirrel," the ebony haired teen continued, "There are lots of those running around out here, I've seen like five and we haven't even been here an hour."

"Yeah, but squirrels are really fast," Violette said. "True," Kim replied. "They're pretty fast, but our human brains are much more advanced. We can catch one." The shorter female still wasn't certain but Kim had a point and she didn't want to be be pessimistic, so she kept the uncertainty to herself. "Do you have any ideas, Kim?"

The taller girl put a thoughtful finger to her lips, lime eyes considering. "I could have one…I don't about it though." Violette tilted her head. "What is it?"

"You know how whenever squirrels run away from you, they run up trees?"

"Yeah…"

"How about you climb a tree, and I chase a squirrel up to you?"

Violette's lips parted soundlessly. "Oh…I don't know…" She lowered her charcoal orbs to the ground self-consciously. Heights definitely weren't Violette's forte, and the idea of climbing a tree and then stretching for a spooked animal unnerved her.

"C'mon," Kim insisted. "It'll be okay. We'll pick a tree that's not too high." The taller teen stepped forward and rested a hand on Violette's shoulder. The purple haired girl looked up into Kim's expectant lime gaze and found that she could not refuse her. "Okay," she said softly, a brave smile plastered on her face.

"Great!" A beaming grin turned up the corners of the ebony haired teen's lips and she took the shorter girl's hand. Kim dragged Violette around for the next three minutes, looking for a suitable tree. "It can't have too many branches," the dark-skinned girl said, "Because then the squirrel has more places to go." Violette nodded.

"This tree looks good, don't you think?" asked Kim as she stopped in front of a cedar tree. Though taller than Violette was comfortable with, there were quite a few branches on the bottom but not towards the top, which was exactly what they were looking for. "Yes," the amethyst haired teen agreed, feeling her stomach form knots as she gazed up at the tall tall tree. "It looks good."

Kim must have caught the nervousness in Violette's voice because she smiled assuringly and patted her on the back. "Don't worry, Vi, if you fall, Imma catch you." The knots in Violette's stomach loosened at the warm certainty in the taller teen's smile and she managed to smile a little herself. "I know…Thank you, Kim." She walked right up to the trunk and grabbed the first branch, pulling herself onto it without looking back.

The purple haired teen continued climbing, grabbing one branch after the next and refusing to look down as she made her way up. The rough bark scraped her soft-skinned palms, but Violette paid no mind and focused only on her task. "Okay, I think you should stop there!" Kim's voice broke into Violette's concentration while the girl was in mid-climb. "I will!" Violette called back to her, pulling herself up the remainder of the way onto the branch she was gripping. She swung her leg over the edge and scooted back from the trunk, bracing her hands against it.

"Good job, girl! I don't think you could have picked a better spot!" Kim yelled and flashed Violette the thumbs up. Glancing around, the purple haired teen saw that Kim was right. There were barely any other branches around and the squirrel would probably run right for her own. Even if it didn't, her hands were right against the trunk and she could snatch it if it tried to pass. Feeling a little burst of pride, she looked back down to thank her partner and the words died in her throat. She was so high up that Kim looked like ant. "Ooooh," whimpered Violette softly, her stomach doing a flip-flop and knotting right up again.

"I'm gonna go look for a squirrel now, okay?" Kim called. "Y-Yeah, okay!" Violette shouted back, her chewed fingernails digging anxiously into the bark. She watched the small speck that was Kim run off in search of a squirrel and inhaled slowly. _I won't fall_, she told herself, _I won't fall, I won't fall, I won't fall…_But she couldn't shake the sinking feeling that she would. Violette didn't like heights at all, and she'd only intended to climb up to the middle of the tree. Now, she neared the top.

_Kim will catch me_, she told her herself in an attempt to steady her nerves. _But Kim's not here right now_, the anxious voice inside of her piped up. Violette sighed audibly and lifted her eyes from the forest floor. "You know, what they always say," she murmured softly to herself, "Don't look down." So for the next ten minutes, Violette didn't look down. She took deep breaths and kept her head up, actually managing to relax a bit when Kim's voice broke the silence. "Squirrel! Coming your way Violette!"

The dark haired teen was chasing a russet furred rodent across the grass, the animal racing toward the tree. Fleetly, it flung itself up from the ground and onto the trunk, zipping up the tree like it was nothing. In a matter of seconds it was only inches away from Violette, and her fear of heights was forgotten as she made a wild grab…And missed. The squirrel darted right out of her grasp and ran up further into the tree.

"Aw man!" Kim scoffed from below, stamping her foot in disappointment. "Dang thing got away! And you were so close too ,Vi! Did you touch it?" Violette looked down to Kim, sighing in her own disappointment. "Almost! My fingers brushed its tail!" she called. "Ah, well. C'mon down and we'll find another way to do this!"

Violette was about to do as Kim said, when a better idea illuminated the metaphorical lightbulb above her head. She would climb up after the squirrel. _It can't be that much higher, can it?_ she asked herself. Tilting her head back, Violette saw that it wasn't. The squirrel was only two branches above the one she sat one. "No Kim, I'm going to grab this one," the purple haired teen called down, "It's so close."

Violette cautiously stood on the branch and grasped the one above. She pulled herself upward and wrapped her legs around it, feeling the blood rush to her head while she was momentarily upside down. Twisting herself right side up, Violette stood and reached for the branch the squirrel was on. Letting out a terrified chatter, the rodent pelted back to the end of the branch, that part so flimsy it sank under the frightened mammal's weight. "It's okay. We won't hurt you, we just need you to win a competition." Violette spoke to the squirrel soothingly even though she knew it couldn't understand her. She then stretched her hand further, but found the branch was just out of reach.

The gray eyed girl looked back to the ground and the seemingly ant-sized Kim standing below. Violette already faced her fear this far, she wasn't going to give up now. She hopped up and grabbed the branch with both hands, feeling the bark tremble under her palms. It swung forward and backward with her weight, the squirrel screeching madly all the short while. Violette just began to pull herself up, with a crack erupted in her ears and the branch broke off the tree.

She gasped and the wood slipped through her hands, swirls of brown and blurs of green filling her vision as she plummeted down. Leaves and twigs whipped at Violette as she fell, the wind roaring in her ears. She shut her eyes tight as she prepared to meet her death, and then suddenly it all stopped. "You okay, Vi?" Charcoal orbs slid open and met concerned lime ones.

"Kim?" She was in the taller female's arms.

"I told you I'd catch you, didn't I?"

Violette threw her arms around Kim's neck and hugged her tightly in gratitude. "T-Thank you! I was really scared for a minute there!" Kim chuckled softly as she patted the head full of amethyst tresses. "It was quite a fall, I was almost scared too." Upon remembering the squirrel, Violette lifted her head and unwound her arms from around Kim's neck, gray gaze flickering around until they rested on a small bundle of russet fur. "On no…Is he dead?" Her voice wavered. If the little animal was killed in the fall, Violette would be horrified.

The grin fell from Kim's face and she gently set Violette down. "I'll go see," the ebony haired teen murmured. Violette clasped her hands anxiously as she watched Kim approach the squirrel. The taller teen squatted down and cautiously poked its side. It didn't stir.

The purple haired girl bit her lip and willed herself not to cry. "Hold on a second…" Kim said, leaning her head down to more closely observe the fallen rodent. "He's breathing!" she declared loudly a moment later. Relief filled Violette and she walked over. Sure enough, the squirrel's chest was rising up and down.

"It looks like we have out inhabitant of the forest," she said happily.

* * *

"What!? What do you mean this doesn't count!?" Kim roared at Mr. Farazie in exasperated disbelief. The squirrel let out a soft chitter, and squirmed in Violette's grasp. The animal had calmed down a good deal, but the purple haired teen still held it through Kim's jacket just in case it tried to bite her. "Lower your voice, Miss. And though I commend you and your partner for being able to catch this squirrel, it's not what you're supposed to bring back." It seemed that Mr. Farazie was trying not to laugh and Violette supposed it did seem funny…But all the same, she wished all that work hadn't been for nothing.

Kim groaned loudly and slapped a palm to her forehead. "This bites! Couldn't you teachers have been more specific about this earlier? Vi almost died gettin' that squirrel!"

The brunette man sighed. "Honestly, I agree with you and I think we should have been more specific, but oh…You kids are smart, you'll figure it out."

Kim rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the help…NOT. C'mon Vi, let's go look for a _plastic_ squirrel." The dark-skinned teen turned and stalked off, the shorter one and her animal companion close behind.

"So I guess we should let the squirrel go, right?" Violette asked a few moments later, her eyes on the resting rodent. It seemed pretty content, all curled up in Kim's hood.

"Hell no! After all the trouble we went through to get him, how could we let him go?"

"I suppose your right. But we can't just take him home, can we?"

"Mm, sure we could. Not like the teachers are gonna be paying attention."

Violette looked up to Kim and then back down to the squirrel. It was really cute, and they'd shared a near-death experience. "Okay, you're right. I'll keep him." She spoke with a gentle smile on her face, beaming when she looked back up to the taller female.

A broad grin cracked across Kim's face and she looped an arm over Violette's shoulder. "Atta' girl."

The shorter teen's smile widened slightly and she pressed closer to her partner. "Help me think of a name."


	3. Chance Meetings in Clothing Shops

** Author's Note: There are a few mentions of my candy, and I altered the sequence of the 2011 special episode a bit .**

Dimitry pulled himself up into a stand and glanced warily around the unfamiliar area. He didn't understand what had happened…One moment, the girl was there and she was going to allow him to drink some blood, and the next moment a swirling vortex had literally appeared and taken her away. He'd jumped into it to go after her…And ended up here. The vampire looked around a second time, the reek of garbage and cat urine so strong he would have gagged if he didn't have better self-control.

He was in a back alley somewhere, that much was clear…But where? Even though he'd jumped in right as Marcese began to get sucked away, she wasn't with him. Which greatly upset Dimitry more than anything else. Marcese had reminded him so much of Mary. And she'd been willing to give him blood. Human blood, which Dimitry was frankly in dire need of. It sickened him to know it was in his nature to hurt humans, something that he was himself a century ago, but there was no denying his need for human blood.

It was a feat that DImitry had managed to even thrive off of animal blood for as long as he had. Each day he felt even weaker, and the animals he killed did little to ease this. He was a vampire, he was supposed to have immense supernatural strength and speed that could not be rivaled, but lately Dimitry found that something as simple as standing was difficult. He was truthfully starving in every sense of the word, and the thirst was growing unbearable as hard as he tried to keep it at bay. But then Marcese had come, she who reminded him so much of his beloved Mary and she'd actually agreed to give him blood!

She was heaven sent to the damned creature he supposed he was, willing to spare her precious liquid ruby to appease his elongated pain. Dimitry's un-beating heart had leapt in his chest with delight! And then she'd been snatched away just like that, his hopes of nourishment and a companion dashed. It was cruel. Life was still cruel to him, even now that he was no longer alive. Unable to handle the stench of the dank alley anymore, Dimitry stepped out of the alley and set out to learn where he was.

The long haired vampire walked up and down the rain-slicked streets, feeling uneasy with the unfamiliarity of this modern world. The rain continued pouring as Dimitry went about his way, studying the cars and buildings he passed. He read every sign, but so far they'd all been the names of buildings themselves or directions for drivers. He would have asked a human, had there been any out, but there were not and all the the places he walked by were dark and empty.

Right when Dimitry was about to give up, an illuminated store window caught his eye. The vampire tilted his head back, the icy rainwater rushing down is neck as he studied the mannequins on display. It was strange…Their clothing was styled much like his own. Smiling faintly at this unusual occurrence, Dimitry approached the door and pulled it open. "Hello?" He called out uncertainly, the store seemingly empty aside from racks of clothing.

"Oh no, Lysander forgot to lock up on his way out again," a male voice grumbled. "Hello!" The voice was louder this time and Dimitry turned to see a young man with black hair sidle out from behind a counter. "I'm sorry but we're closed. You're welcome to come back tomorrow, we open at nine." The man stopped a few feet from Dimitry, tilting his head as he studied the vampire. "Oh my, sir. You're soaking wet."

"I am…I apologize," he said, "I don't mean to get water on your floor." The man waved a hand. "Ah, no need for that. It's only water after all, it will dry. Even though we're closed, I can sell you an umbrella if you'd like." Dimitry smiled but shook his head. "No thank you, I wasn't even looking to buy anything. I only wanted to see if you could help me. Can you tell me where I am? "

The question seemed to take the man off-guard and he peered closely at Dimitry a second time. "Where are you from, exactly?" He inquired, brown eyes glinting in a mix of curiosity and intrigue.

"Quite far away from here," sighed the vampire wearily. He'd noticed a few moments ago how good this human smelled and the thirst was back to paining him. Dimitry wouldn't hurt the man, of course, but he was starting to think he should leave anyway. This man just smelled so…Good. So appetizing. He smelled nearly as good as Marcese had and Dimitry was starting to feel lightheaded. He'd have to go drink_ something's_ blood soon.

The black haired human was looking at Dimitry expectantly and the vampire could only assumed he'd missed something. "Pardon…What was that?"

"Never mind it. Are you alright? You don't look very well."

"Actually, I'm not very well," Dimitry answered honestly, managing a thin smile. "I should be going. Thank you, sir. For your time." He dipped his head and started to leave. "Wait a moment, you shouldn't go back out there if you're not yourself. Besides, you said you live far away." The man laid a hand on the vampire's shoulder. "I have a couch in the back, you can sit down."

Dimity sighed, quietly appreciating the warmth of the man's hand on his shoulder while it lasted. "You're very kind," he murmured as he turned back. "What's your name?"

The man slid his hand away and offered a subtle smile. "It's Leigh."

"I'm Dimitry."

Leigh smiled and politely held out a hand. "A pleasure."

"Indeed." Dimitry briefly shook the extended appendage, once again appreciating the warmth and softness of a living palm.

"Your hands are like ice," Leigh murmured. "Yes, that tends to happen with a lack of circulation," the vampire chuckled. Leigh tilted his head as if to inquire, but instead began walking behind the counter. "The couch is this way," he said. Dimity followed him through a door behind the counter and into a small room. Clothing on hooks lined the walls and there was indeed a couch, a burgundy one against the wall and next to a contraption Dimitry had never seen.

"It's a bit cluttered in here," Leigh said as he took a seat on the couch. "I hope that isn't a problem for you." The long haired male shook his head. "No, not at all. But tell me, what is that thing?" He pointed a pale finger at the coffee maker, brow furrowed in confusion.

Leigh glanced to the coffee maker, and back to Dimitry, brown eyes widened slightly in surprise. "It makes coffee…You've never seen one?" The vampire shook his head and approached it curiously. "Would you like some coffee?" Leigh asked, tilting his head to look up at Dimitry.

At that moment an unpleasant wave of weakness overcame the starved vampire. His knees buckled and he sank to the floor, bracing his hands against the carpet to keep from sinking the rest of the way as well. In a flash Leigh was down beside him, a hand placed on the vampire's back. "You're feeling faint? Should I call someone?"

Without consciously intending to, Dimitry slumped back against the other male, yet again taking gratitude in his warmth. And yet again, he was suffocated by his delicious aroma. "That won't be necessary, thank you. If you could just help me up, I'll be on my way and I'll go feed." Leigh didn't seem to mind Dimitry's head on his shoulder, and craned his neck to meet his gaze. "Feed…Do you have low blood sugar? If you do, you should have just said so. I have a candy bowl for customers' children."

Dimitry smiled feebly. "That's very nice of you. But I don't have low blood sugar. I'm a vampire."

"…"

"Oh, I hope that doesn't upset you. I wouldn't hurt you if that's what you're thinking."

Leigh's eyes narrowed slightly. "Is this some kind of a joke?" The vampire shook his head. "Of course not, who would joke about that?"

The black haired man blinked slowly and cleared his throat. "I'm quite an openminded person, Dimitry, but that's more than a little hard for me to believe. Vampires don't really exist. Only in media." Without waiting for Dimitry's response, Leigh shifted and put his arm around the long haired male's waist, standing and hoisting him up.

"Thank you," Dimitry murmured, leaning against Leigh for a brief moment and then seating himself on the couch. Leigh nodded and sat next to him, studying the vampire searchingly. "And we do exist, though I haven't met another vampire since I became one," Dimitry added, "Wouldn't it be something if I was the very last one on Earth? But that's something I highly doubt."

Leigh put his chin in his hands, skepticism glittering in the orbs fixed on the vampire. "If you really are a vampire, can you prove it?" Dimitry nodded. "Of course I can. Here," the long haired male peeled his lips back, the sharp tips of pearly miniature daggers sliding easily over the bottom one and glinting dangerously at the clothing salesman. Leigh studied them with interest. "Hn. Those are impressive, but you could have had that done."

Dimitry tilted his head with nominal confusion. "Had them done…?"

Leigh nodded. "Yes, a dentist could have done that for you. Some people get vampire fangs, some people get elf ears. According to an episode of Law and Order, some people even get a leg cut off so they can replace it with a peg leg. It's quite interesting what people do with their bodies."

"I see…I think," Dimitry said slowly. "I suppose I'll have to prove it another way then. I'm assuming you have mirrors here. Am I correct?"

"Yes, I do. I'll go get one." The salesman nodded as he stood up, and briskly walked out of the room. The vampire laid his head back against the couch cushion, contemplating his earlier collapse. It made him a bit nervous, because as weak as he'd gotten before that had never happened. Perhaps it had something to do with all the human exposure? Dimitry did feel even thirstier than he had in a long time. It was hard not to, with the scent of human blood so thick in his nostrils but still as out of reach as the stars.

Not that he regretted meeting Marcese and Leigh by any means. No, not at all. They were both so kind and so easy to talk to. It was nice to talk to someone, aside from Mary's grave and Black the bat. No, he could be ten times weaker and in ten times amount of the pain he was in and it would still be worth meeting them. "I've got the mirror," Leigh called, stepping back into the room and holding the round object. Dimitry lifted his head and smiled, outstretching a hand. "Okay, I'll show you."

The black haired man placed the mirror in the vampire's grasp and then got back on the couch, scooting right up against Dimitry and peering closely to see if he would have a reflection. He did not. "My god," Leigh breathed in awe, glancing from the vacant mirror up to the fanged grin and back again. "You don't have a reflection! You're really a vampire!" Dimitry chuckled softly, amused by the adorable way Leigh's features lit up in amazement. "I really am."

"Wow, that's remarkable! Your clothes are truly vintage! I love them! Where do you come from, Dimitry? When? How come you're a vampire?" A hint of a blush dusted Leigh's cheeks when the man realized how childishly excited he was acting. "Ah, forgive me. I don't mean to bombard you with questions. Meeting a vampire is just very new to me." Dimitry smiled and shook his head. "It's okay, though I'd prefer not to answer them right now…It's painful."

The salesman's expression dimmed somberly and he dipped his head. "I understand."

"It pleases me that you like my clothes though," the vampire continued cheerfully, "I like yours as well and clothing seems to be your specialty." The smile returned to Leigh's face. "Oh yes, clothes are my passion," the man beamed happily. "I saw victorian styled attire in your shop. It's a comfort to me to know such an elegant style hasn't died in the modern world," Dimitry told him.

"Unfortunately, my tastes a bit exclusive," Leigh chuckled sheepishly. "It's not as popular as you may think. Though my brother is also quite the fan." The vampire tilted his head. "You have a brother? Does he smell as sweet as you?"

"What?" The salesman's cheeks darkened to a rosy pink, his expression flickering in between alarm and embarrassment. Dimitry smiled softly in apology. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you. It's just true that you have a very enticing scent. Do you mind if I ask your blood type?"

Leigh shook his head. "No, I don't mind. I'm type AB." Dimitry smiled subtly, eyes closing. "Ah, that explains it…"

"I can give you some, if you want." The vampire's eyes flew open at this and he looked at Leigh incredulously. "You would allow me your blood!?" The black haired male nodded. "Yes, a little anyway. You said you wouldn't hurt me and I believe you so I'd have no problem with it. That would make you feel better, wouldn't it?" Dimitry wearily released a gentle sigh. "So much better."

"Then go ahead," Leigh told the vampire, resting a hand softly on his cheek. "I'd be happy to help you."

Dimitry leaned in and lowered the salesman's collar, flashing a quick glance back to him. "Are you really sure?" Leigh nodded. "I'm positive. I trust you." Dimitry smiled at him, all the gratitude he could never express in words shining in his eyes. He sank his fangs into the soft tanned flesh of Leigh's neck and sucked thirstily. The blood was rich and sweet when it coated Dimitry's tongue, and pure liquid strength as it flowed down his throat.

Feeling restored and not wanting to overstay his welcome to the man's blood, the vampire stopped and lightly swiped his tongue across the puncture wounds. He then lapped up the few droplets of ruby that surrounded them."That was a very…Different feeling," Leigh murmured slowly. "Thank you so much for allowing me to that," said Dimitry. "I feel better than I have in ages." He lifted his head and gently pressed his lips to the human's cheek in a gesture of gratitude.

Leigh was blushing again as Dimitry pulled back but he was also smiling. "I-I'm just happy I could help."

"Is there anything I can do for you in return?" The vampire asked, fixing the salesman's collar as he spoke. "No thank you, I don't need anything," Leigh replied. "But you've done me a huge favor. I'd like to repay you somehow," Dimitry insisted. The salesman seemed to be mentally weighing options. "Well, I can think of something…"

"What is it?" Dimitry asked eagerly. "Could I have your clothes?" Leigh tilted his head, lips curved up in a mild smile. "They really are great, and I'd love to create a pattern to make another jacket like that. I'd give you something else to wear, of course. I couldn't have you leave here without clothing."

Dimitry blinked, a gentle smile touching his lips. "If it's my clothes you want, my clothes you will have." He promptly stood up and started to undress right there, when Leigh jumped to his feet and waved his hands. "Dimitry! T-There are changing rooms here."

"Oh, yes. I suppose that would make sense." DImitry nodded as Leigh took him by the arm and led him to the changing rooms. The vampire grabbed the bronze door handle to one and opened it. "Wouldn't you like to have something to change into first?" The salesman inquired. Dimitry paused and shook his head, chuckling at his own expense. "That would also make a lot more sense," he said quietly. "Well, feel free to take your time. Look around and pick out whatever you want," Leigh said with a bright smile.

Dimitry sighed. "I'm sorry to say, but I'm actually in a bit of a hurry. I ended up here following a girl I met, well trying to follow her anyway, and I don't know exactly where I am or how to get back home. So, I'm a bit anxious to get going, as it might take me some time to get back." A subtle frown twisted Leigh's lips. Though he hadn't known him for that long, he was fond of Dimitry. The vampire fascinated him, and he was one of the most courteous people Leigh had met in a long time. "I understand. Perhaps I can try to help you find your way?" He asked Dimitry hopefully.

"That's very kind of you to offer, but the weather's quite bad. A human like you will catch your death out there, and with that aside, I live very far away." Dimitry smiled politely but the melancholy was plain in his voice. Leigh simply nodded, not trusting his own voice for the time being. The amount of sadness he felt for the departure of someone he hardly knew was probably irrational, but living that far away in a place unknown to Leigh meant he wasn't likely to see Dimitry ever again. It was disheartening. "Could I have your clothes?" asked the vampire suddenly. "They're quite stylish, and your lovely scent is on them." Leigh blushed softly again, still unsure how to respond to having a 'lovely' scent. Even so, he nodded. "Of course."

So the two swapped clothes, and examined each other in traded attire. "My outfit suits you well," Dimitry murmured. "I hope it's comfortable."

"Oh yes, it's comfortable. And you look good yourself…Shall I walk you to the door?"

"That would be nice."

Though contact wasn't necessary, Leigh held on to the vampire's smooth, cool-skinned hand as he led him to the exit/entrance of the shop. "It was very nice to meet you," Dimitry murmured, "Very nice of you to help me as well." The human forced a smiled as he released the hand. "My pleasure. Goodbye Dimitry, I wish you well on your travel."

"I wish you well in your business. Farewell, Leigh." The vampire dipped his head and fled into the stormy night. He disappeared from sight almost instantly and the salesman found his fingertips delicately grazing over the twin holes in his neck. If it weren't for those and his new outfit, the entire meeting could have been just a dream.


	4. Coin Laundry and Cough Drops

** Author's Note: Charlotte centric, but she's probably very OOC here. I say probably, because frankly we don't see much of her individually and she talks a lot less than Li does. I tried to keep her as in character as possible given the story content, but I don't think I did that good of a job. Either way, enjoy :)**

It was a poster in the hallway that caught Charlotte's attention. She paused to read the bold letters, feeling the very slightest tug of interest. _Another concert to raise school funds, huh?_ she thought, _Maybe I can actually enjoy myself this time. _The last time there'd been one of those, it wasn't that Charlotte had a particularly bad time…It was just that the whole time Amber wouldn't shut up about how good Castiel looked, insisted on taking numerous pictures, and shifting through the crowd the whole time.

Charlotte cared about Amber on some level, she really did, but that didn't stop her from getting annoyed by the blonde teen. Not that she ever brought this up, oh no. Charlotte went along with whatever Amber and Li said or did, even if she didn't agree with whatever it was. Not that the caramel haired teen was an angel by any means. She didn't particularly _care_ one way or the other when Amber made fun of people. Hell, she'd put in her own two cents just to stay in the loop with her and Li. At least, she _normally_ didn't care when Amber made fun of people…

Sometimes Charlotte thought Amber took things too far. Like the time the wavy-haired blonde took Violette's stuffed animal. Amber and Li had taunted the timid girl to tears, tossing it back and fourth between each other and dangling it over her head. It had been as if Violette were a stray dog and the plush was a scrap of fresh meat. The taunting of the purple haired girl had gone on for over fifteen minutes, and probably would have gone on even longer if Kim hadn't shown up. Charlotte had been a bit bothered by the entire situation, moderately pitying Violette the whole time.

She'd never said anything though. It just wasn't in Charlotte's nature to voice her misgivings to her friends. She was just too passive of a person to do something like that. Besides, Amber and Li would blow whatever disagreement she posed to them completely out of proportion. She cared too little, and they cared too much. The caramel haired teen wouldn't risk losing her friends over some discomfort at their mischievous ways. They were her true friends now, after all.

Charlotte had first met Amber and Li in middle school. Their companionship was born a typical cliche; Charlotte being the new girl, while the popularity of Amber and Li was at its peak. So what had the caramel haired girl done? Stuck with them, of course. Completed the clique and found herself security in doing so. Middle school was a scary place, no kid ever wanted to sit alone at the lunch table and be partnerless during labs. The trio had stuck together into high school, and at this point Charlotte found genuine friendship in the other two, difficult as they (especially Amber) could be.

"Charlotte!" yelled a high-pitched impatient voice. An insistent tug on Charlotte's wrist seconds later prompted the teen to turn around. "What is it, Li?" she asked tonelessly. "You're supposed to go shopping with me and Amber, duh," Li replied as she let go of Charlotte's shirt sleeve, "You were supposed to meet us outside five minutes ago."

"I didn't forget, I was just reading the poster." The caramel haired teen nodded her head at the advertisement. "Another budget raising concert," Li said, her dark eyebrows lifting a fraction of an inch. "Huh. You'd think the staff would be more creative. But I'm sure we're still going." Charlotte nodded. "Of course we will."

"But now let's go shopping, Amber probably thinks I got lost trying to find you." Li turned on her heel and walked briskly to the front doors, the caramel female walking after her.

* * *

Later that day, Charlotte took her new pine green mini-skirt out of the shopping bag and tossed it in the basket with her other laundry. She always washed new clothes before she wore them. After all, anyone could have tried them on and put them back. Charlotte scooped up the laundry basket and held it in the crook of one arm, exiting her apartment and walking the 20ft to the laundry room. She dumped the basket into one of the three washing machines that resided in the small room, adding soap and slipping her coin into the slot.

She sat down on a bench and flipped through an outdated fashion magazine as she waited. A few moments later, footsteps on the tile floor caught her attention. Charlotte raised her head, caramel eyes fixing onto none other than her next door neighbor. "Hello," she said politely. A dispassionate girl of few words, greeting people was not something Charlotte would typically do. But she was drawn to him, this neighbor who happened to attend Sweet Amoris as well. The indifferent teen fancied him for reasons she didn't quite understand herself, and wouldn't pass up the opportunity to get his acknowledgment.

"Hello," Lysander's eyes bicolored eyes flickered over her for a moment, expression that of polite neutrality. He nodded to her and continued on his way to an unoccupied wash machine. _He probably dislikes me_, Charlotte thought wistfully. _I'm always with Amber. Amber always call him strange and Li eggs her on. Amber always cheats and schemes, and I never stand in her way. I even help her when she asks me to. _

Caramel eyes lingered on Lysander a heartbeat longer and then lowered back to the magazine. Vainly, she hoped the mysterious male didn't dislike her too much. It's not as if she would ever know what went on in Lysander's head. Despite living in the apartment next door to him for a year and going to the same school, Charlotte had hardly spoken two sentences to him. The caramel haired teen would have talked to him more, but Amber just made that too difficult.

Despite that, Charlotte didn't blame the wavy-haired blonde for the default distaste-by-association Lysander must have held for her. It was Charlotte's choice to be friends with the ruthless gossiper and she was fully aware of the consequences that came with that friendship. However, the things Amber said about Lysander infuriated her. Charlotte was fascinated by him, intrigued by his unusual style, enthralled by his peculiar eyes and awed by the lyrics she studied when she'd come across his misplaced notebook. To Charlotte, Lysander was a handsome puzzle waiting to be unlocked. But Amber spat on all of that.

The blonde teen would snicker at his alluring mystery, refer to it as weirdness and criticize the victorian style Charlotte found so interesting. Amber hadn't yet exploited him with any of her twisted plots (Charlotte supposed the blonde never would, considering how close Lysander was with Castiel), but talking smack about him still made Charlotte want to slap the makeup off her. It was bad enough the blonde teen prevented her from pursuing him, Amber going on about how "freakish" he was rubbed salt in the wound.

"I'd hate to bother you, but could I please borrow a quarter? It seems I've forgotten my wallet."

Upon the inquiry Charlotte lifted her head once more, her caramel orbs meeting the hesitant bicolored ones. "Yes," she replied simply. Standing up, Charlotte fished through the pocket of her beige skinny jeans until she found a quarter. "Here." She strode over, the coin resting on her extended palm. Lysander smiled gently as he took it, his fingertips ghosting over her skin. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Charlotte lowered her hand and returned to her seat on the bench, trying not to think of how that smile and touch seemed to tease her._ Life loves teasing me, doesn't it? Giving me little tastes here and there of what I can't have. _Her lips quirked up in the slightest of bitter smiles and she plucked up the outdated magazine. _Or maybe I'm just teasing myself_, she mused._ I could go home and come back when the clothes are done, but instead I sit here. I share the space of the laundry room with him, and it's the closest we'll ever be. _

And so she did stay, absently flipping through the magazine in the silence that was only broken by the hum of the machines and the occasional cough from the silver haired male.

* * *

"Rosalya, could you take these to Lysander? I was going to have Castiel do it, but like any other time he could be useful, he's nowhere to be found." The student body president approached the white haired girl who sat next to Charlotte, holding a slim packet of paper.

Rosalya nodded,accpeting the packet dutifully. "Sure Nathaniel. I was going to stop over there after my date with Leigh tonight anyway. Poor Lysbaby though, getting sick and losing his voice just before the concert."

"It is unfortunate." Nathaniel nodded sympathetically and strode out of the classroom.

"Um…Do you need something?" Rosalya's amber gaze now held Charlotte's, and the caramel haired teen mentally scolded herself for being such an obvious eavesdropper. Not that it was technically eavesdropping, considering Rosalya sat right next to her. "No," she answered curtly, eyes casting back down to her assignment.

* * *

_ This is stupid_, she thought dryly. _Just stupid, I don't know what I'm doing._ Despite her internal protests, Charlotte knocked on the door. A few moments later, the door was opened by a shirtless silver haired male in nothing but flannel pajama bottoms. "Um h-hi," the caramel haired girl stammered awkwardly. He raised a hand in a wave, eyes glinting incredulously. _Get on with it, you're making yourself look dumb._

"I heard you weren't feeling well," she started quietly, not quite able to meet his eyes, "So I brought you this." She held out a bag of cough drops. "And this." She held out a box of lemon tea with her opposite hand. Lysander tilted his head, clearly surprise. Charlotte steadily met his gaze, still feeling that damned blush in her cheeks.

Smiling, the silver haired male accepted what was held out to him and nodded his thanks. Charlotte adored that smile. It was so sweet…And contagious. Before she knew it, she was smiling back at him. "You're welcome. I hope it helps." He nodded to her again and then the caramel haired teen took her leave, walking the short gap of carpet back to her own apartment. The smile still graced her face. It was ironically nice to tease her once in awhile.


	5. Cookies

Kentin strolled around the sidewalk outside of Sweet Amoris and munched on a tasty chocolate cream filled cookie, spending his lunch break idly. He paused in his stroll when a person he didn't recognize came into view. She was a petite girl, wearing what Kentin found to be a very weird dress that went all the way to her ankles. A tiny hat that matched the dress rested on top of her platinum blonde head. She certainly struck Kentin as an interesting character, and what she was doing was just as odd.

The girl was standing on tiptoe and peeking into the window of one of the classrooms. Kentin couldn't even see her face because it was so intently pressed to the glass. _Maybe she's a new student_, he thought. _I'll see if she needs any help. I remember getting lost when I first started going here._ "Excuse me,," he said, trotting up to her. "Do you need help finding the front office or anything?" For a moment the petite female didn't move and Kentin wasn't sure she heard, but then she lifted her head from the window and turned to him, blinking pale silver orbs. "Oh, you're talking to me?"

For a few milliseconds, the brunette teen was stunned by the youthful appearance of this girl and thought maybe she wasn't a new student. Her features were small and delicate, and some of her hair was dyed a soft pink. Her face was slightly round, but her eyes were rounder and her expression struck him as innocent. She almost looked too young for high school.

"Um, yeah I was." Kentin nodded, dismissing the idea that the girl was too young to be a high schooler. She had cherubic features, that was all. "Are you lost? Can I help you?" The blonde giggled softly and then shook her head, a sweet smile daintily curving up the corners of her lips. "That's nice of you, but I'm not lost. I don't go to this school. I just came here to watch Lysander."

_Okay, she's here to watch Lysander…Watch Lysander?_ Kentin glanced into the classroom window, and sure enough, the silver haired male inhabited the room. He seemed unaware that he was being watched and was writing animatedly into his notebook. "Erm…Oh." Kentin blinked and awkwardly rubbed at the back of his neck. The brunette couldn't help finding it weird (and a little creepy) that this girl was just spying on his classmate.

"Yeah, he gets so passionate when he's writing songs." The girls's tone had melted into a dreamy silk as she slid her eyes back to the boy in the classroom. "So are you two together?" Kentin asked. He thought if she and Lysander were together it was a bit less weird that she…Watched him. The petite female sighed longingly and shook her head, her gaze slightly dimmer when she turned back to the brunette. "No, I'm not Lysander's girlfriend. I really like him a lot, and I'm sure he knows it but…" At this point the girl's bottom lip trembled and Kentin felt bad for her. He knew just how painful and upsetting unrequited love could be.

He opened his mouth to tell the girl she didn't have to explain anymore, and spare her the suffering, but her slivery pale orbs lit up again and her mouth pulled up into a vivacious grin. "But Lysander is very focused on his music right now," she continued, "He's spending almost all of his time writing songs, editing songs, and perfecting them. He doesn't have time for a girlfriend now, but when he does I'll be here. And we will be together." There was no doubt in the small blonde's voice and her silver eyes gleamed happily.

Kentin slowly closed his open mouth. _This girl is really….different_, he told himself, _At least she's optimistic._ "Well, good for you two," he said, smiling with mild bemusement. The petite blonde smiled at him and clasped her gloved hands together. "Why, thank you." She then looked back into the window and the smile dropped from her lips, replaced by a disheartened pout. "Aww, Lysander's gone now. I got so distracted talking to you…"

The brunette blinked and glanced into the window, her words confirmed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you," he said as he turned back to her, emerald eyes apologetic. "It's fine," the blonde sighed. "I know it wasn't your intention." The glum expression cemented in her face and Kentin felt a true pang of guilt. "Maybe these can make it up to you?" He held out the partially eaten package of chocolate cookies.

The petite female took the package, her gloved fingers ghosting over Kentin's as she did so. "You think cookies are the equivalent of watching my precious Lysander?" she asked, her pale stare in between dubious and offended. The brunette teen shook his head. "No, I don't think that. I mean, I know you'd rather be…Watching Lysander, but the cookies are good. They're better than a measly apology."

The girl nodded. "Yeah, you're right." She popped a cookie into her mouth and munched it over quietly, smiling when she'd finished it. "Ooh, they are good! They're super sweet." She gave a little giggle and popped another one into her mouth. "They're my favorite," said Kentin. "Sweet, but not too rich or sugary." The blonde giggled again. "You're an expert on them, huh?"

He chuckled softly and then tilting his head, emerald gaze tracing her features curiously. "What's your name?"

Silver eyes blinked, her pretty lips still turned up in a cute, impish smile. "It's Lys-" She broke off and paused for a just a heartbeat. "It's Nina."

"I'm Kentin. It's nice to meet you, Nina." He extended a hand to shake.

Nina lightly clasped it. "Likewise, Kentin."


	6. Chancy Companionship

"Can I go with you guys?" Capucine asked Amber hopefully. "Nope. Sorry Capucine, but there isn't enough room in the car." The blonde told her, even though it was a blatant lie that the honey haired teen could see for herself. Charlotte was at the wheel, Li was in the back and Amber's perfectly manicured fingernails were curled under the metal passenger's handle. Capucine could see for herself that there was enough room for at least two more people, but she smiled in a nonchalant aw-shucks-but-no-big-deal manner, and stepped back onto the side walk.

"I see. Maybe next time," she said. Feigning ignorance to the rejection protected her pride more than pointing it out, and doing the latter would have only caused a scene and distanced Capucine further from the trio she yearned to turn into a quartet. "Yep, maybe so." With that last remark, Amber got into the car and it pulled away. Capucine watched until it disappeared down the road and then allowed herself to hang her head with a heavy sigh. "Blondie let you down again?"

The honey haired female lifted her head and glanced to the owner of the voice, apple-green eyes narrowing as she lifted her head and held her chin high. "What are you doing here, Debrah?" she asked, voice curt and not bothering to conceal her distaste. Debrah's fuchsia lower lip protruded slightly in a mocking pout. "Aww, you don't seem very happy to see me. And I was just sympathizing with you."

"I don't need any sympathy," Capucine said crisply, brushing imaginary dirt from her cropped jacket and sweeping back her pink-accented bangs. Though she didn't know the singer personally, Amber despised Debrah; so by omission Capucine didn't want to have anything to do with her. "Don't you?" The brunette strode up to Capucine and boldly slung an arm around her shoulders. "It is pretty sad. All you try to do is be her friend, but she'll never see you as one. She gives you hope here and there by sharing some gossip or a few makeup tips, but when it comes to hanging out or actually doing something fun, you're not allowed to tag along."

Debrah's eyes seemed sincerely sympathetic when Capucine met them, and she couldn't help her gaze from lingering on the singer's dual pools of contrasting color. They were just so unusual, so peculiar and unique…Cobalt blue orbs touched with spherules of coral. They were contacts, right? They had to be contacts. No one had eyes like that. Realizing that she was staring, Capucine pulled herself out of her daze with a huff and shrugged the singer's arm from her shoulder. "Oh, you don't know anything about it," she told her, tone somewhere in between sharp and exasperated.

"I do," Debrah replied softly, a subtly smug smile quirking up her lips. "It's not as if we're strangers, Capucine. I tried to be Amber's buddy once too, but she was just too jealous of me. Maybe she's jealous of you too."

That caught Capucine's attention. "What? Why would Amber be jealous of me?"

Debrah's smirk grew and she tucked a strand of her chestnut locks back behind her head. "Oh, I don't know." Her airy tone dripped with teasing innocence as she tilted up the chin of the honey haired teen. "You're a lot cuter than she is." Capucine inhaled softly, uncertain of how she should respond to the brunette. She was thinking that she should jerk her chin from Debrah's grasp and walk away, when the fingers breezily trailed down to her neck. "And you have a better style," Debrah murmured, holding Capucine's pearl necklace between two fingers.

"Don't touch that!" Capucine scolded, smacking away Debrah's hand and taking a step back. "It's special," she stated, her own fingers moving to touch it. The brunette looked put out for all of about ten seconds, and then her unique gaze flashed with interest. "Is it now? How come?"

"None of your business," the honey haired teen answered, adjusting the necklace even though such adjustment was not necessary. She really should be leaving. If anyone saw that she was talking to Debrah and told Amber, Amber would be mad at her. That was the last thing she wanted. "You're not very nice to me," said Debrah sulkily, a touch of chiding detectable in her tone.

"I don't have any reason to be," said Capucine haughtily. She whisked around on her heels and started to walk away. "Yes you do," Debrah replied simply, a grin gracing her fuchsia lips as she walked after the honey haired teen. "And what's that?" Capucine asked, wary and more than a little annoyed.

"Because I complimented you."

"Is there something you want from me, Debrah?"

"Yup, but you'll get something out of it." The brunette giggled and winked at her.

"There's nothing you have that I could possibly want," Capucine told her, pace quickening. There wasn't anything Debrah could have that she would want, right? At least, nothing that was worth risking Amber's disapproval. And what did Debrah want from her anyway? Debrah hardly knew her, and the honey haired teen wanted to keep it that way.

"Not even tickets to Swan Lake?"

Capucine stopped dead in her tracks. "You have tickets to Swan Lake?"

"Ah ha, I thought that might catch your attention," Debrah purred triumphantly. "And yes, I do."

"Would that be tonight?" Capucine asked. Though the idea of going somewhere with Debrah made her stomach sink, there wasn't much she wouldn't do to see her favorite ballet.

"It's tonight," the brunette confirmed.

"Well okay," the honey haired teen said skeptically, apple-green gaze guarded by wariness. "But what do I have to do for you?"

Debrah giggled like an imp and her one of a kind orbs flickered briefly with accomplishment. "All you have to do is be my friend."

"What? Why me?" Capucine's eyes narrowed. If it was necessary to see Swan Lake, she would play the role of Debrah's pal for the night, but there was no way she'd actually call her a friend. She'd worked too long and too hard gaining Amber's acceptance and trust (most of it anyway) to throw it away by associating with Debrah.

"Well, it's simple," Debrah said matter of faculty. "I need more girlfriends. Kim's hanging out with Violette all the time, Iris is hanging out with Melody all the time and even if she wasn't, as nice as Iris is she's still a little mad at me for the way I broke up with Cas. Rosalya never liked me much, Amber and those two posers want nothing to do with me and vice-versa. Peggy is just as annoying as those amateur paparazzi who shove cameras in my face after concerts. But you don't really have any friends at all. You're also tolerable Capucine. You're cute and you got style, and a little devious side to you. I like that, though I don't know why you waste your time with Amber. Which is also a bonus for me if I hang out with you." Debrah paused, her grin at its widest and brightest. "I'll really get under that bitch's skin, if I become BFFs with her wannabe minion."

Capucine huffed a breath, feeling the sharp bite her fingernails sink into her palms as she formed fists. What nerve Debrah had! Referring to her as tolerable, as if she were a pet whose behavior was being judged! Calling her cute the way one would call a toddler cute (that was what Debrah meant, right?)! Admitting one of her goals was to piss off Amber!? Most of all, insulting Capucine when Debrah was the one who'd approached her!? "Wannabe minion!? Excuse me?" she snapped through gritted teeth.

The singer sighed and waved a hand. "Okay, okay. Calm your tits. I'm sorry, calling you a wannabe minion is going too far. But you know what I mean. C'mon, aren't you fed up with taking the backseat to Li and Charlotte? Aren't you lonely Capucine?"

The honey haired teen unclenched her fists even though she was furious that Debrah would dare to suggest she was lonely. That Debrah would dare to insinuate being friends would be doing Capucine a favor. What infuriated her more though, was that Debrah was right. Capucine was sick of trying to prove herself worthy of Amber's friendship, and doing so had pretty much burned any bridges she might have been able to build with the other girls, with the exception of the goodie two-shoes Iris and Melody. But those two were only polite to her because it was not in their good nature to be anything but. Not friend material.

"Since you bothered buying ballet tickets just to get me to say yes, fine," Capucine said mildly. "I'll be friendly with you." Damn, the things Capucine would do to see Swan Lake. But this was it, lonely or not, whatever kind of companionship Debrah was pursuing would end at this. She'd be friends with Debrah tonight and friendly-ish from now on, she supposed, but that would have to suffice.

"Being friendly isn't the same as being friends," replied the brunette immediately.

"I'm well aware of that. Haven't you heard of compromising?"

Debrah made a face, clearly displeased by Capucine's resistance. Despite this, after a long moment Debrah sighed. "Alright. I guess that's fair enough…For now, anyway. The show's at six. Let's hang out until then, and then after the show I'll take you home."

The honey haired teen took her phone out of her denim purse and looked at the time. 3:47. Hanging out with Debrah…She didn't really want to, but she doubted she'd be able to compromise with the singer further and she really wanted to see Swan Lake. "Okay," she murmured compliantly.

"See? Not so hard." The brunette looped an arm through Capucine's and started to drag the honey haired teen off. "I wanna get some food before we go, so I'm gonna take you to this fancy little place called the Donut Hole…"

Capucine only half-listened as Debrah started to drone on, feeling a twinge of disloyalty in the pit of her stomach. She was arm in arm with Amber's most hated girl in the burn book the trio had trusted her enough to allow access to (that one time, anyway). And yet…And yet, having plans on Friday night for the first time in months was nice. Having someone who actually wanted to be her friend, despite the less than flattering motives, was pretty nice too. And of all things, being invited to Swan Lake was a rare treat. As much as she didn't want to, a thin smile reached Capucine's lips as Debrah continued dragging her along.


	7. Catching His Attention

** Author's Note: Haven't updated the collection of crappy oneshots in awhile. My apologies, inspiration and motivation have a habit of alluding me these days ;A;**

Violette was shy. She was shy and quiet, and frankly inexperienced. Her timid nature hindered her when it came to things like crushes, or boyfriends, or cute boys in general. She just didn't know how to talk to them. So when she noticed how cute the boy in the gardening club was, she had to consult someone who did.

"S-So Rosalya. You and Leigh have been together for some time now," she said awkwardly to the snow haired beauty. Vivid amber eyes glinted curiously as Rosalya nodded. "Yes, we have," she replied, her expectant tone subtly urging Violette to continue.

"So I was wondering if you could help me um…If you could help me…Um." Twin roses bloomed in the amethyst haired teen's cheeks. "Oh, I see," Rosalya said, warm amusement in her amber orbs and a knowing grin tugging up the corners of her pretty mouth. "Okay Violette, who is the boy?"

"Jade," she mumbled bashfully.

"Speak up, hun. I can't help you if I can't hear you." Rosa tsked. "I like Jade," Violette repeated in a louder voice, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.

"Oh, he's cute!" the snow haired teen nodded, grin growing and eyes glittering in approval. "Good choice."

Violette felt herself relax slightly. "So do you think I could have a chance with him?"

"Of course." Rosalya chuckled. "C'mon, let's go hook you two up!" She grabbed Violette's hand and dragged her off to the gardening club, the air sucked out of Violette before she could protest.

"W-Wait!" She whispered urgently to Rosalya when they reached their destination. "What is it?" Rosa asked, letting go of the shorter teen's hand.

Violette looked over her shoulder and felt her knees turn to jelly. Jade was right there. He was just watering plants and hadn't even noticed the two girls that came sprinting in, but she still felt the bit of calamity she'd gained dissolve in his presence. She trained her nervous ash-gray pools back onto Rosalya. "I was hoping you could help him talk to me first. I-I'm a terrible conversation starter. I…I can even mess up something like saying hi," Violette internally groaned at her pitiful social skills and felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment, but she had to speak of them to Rosalya if she was going to have a shot with Jade. "I was hoping you could get him to talk to me first…The boys are always the ones who make the first moves in books anyway." The purple haired teen added the last part hastily, hoping it would help justify her.

"Oh, okay." The snow haired girl nodded as though she understood completely. "Don't worry Violette, it won't be that hard. All we have to do is get you to catch his attention." Relief cooled the flames in Violette's cheeks as she nodded. "Alright. How do I do that, Rosa?"

The taller female took a step back and put a finger to lips thoughtfully. She seemed to be studying Violette. "Well, pulling down your sleeves won't help really. Showing shoulders works for some girls, but you're not one of them. Especially not with that outfit. I'd say to swap that outfit with some clothes I have in the locker to reveal more of your cleavage, but you don't have much of that…No offense Violette, small boobs are fine. They're just a little hard to work with when you're trying to hook a guy."

The shorter teen sucked in a breath, her cheeks feeling as though they were on fire yet again. Her ashy gaze slid past the white haired teen and onto Jade again. The butterflies in her stomach began fluttering about in all directions when she saw that he'd noticed them at last. Though Jade didn't look as if he were going to come over, he studied them curiously from the short distance. "Oh, I got it!" Rosalya declared suddenly, snapping her fingers. Violette's gaze immediately shifted back to her. The snow haired beauty's amber eyes glowed with triumph.

"Lesbian kiss!" She exclaimed. "If that won't catch his attention, nothing will." Before Violette even registered what it was Rosalya said, the taller girl captured her lips. She moved her mouth sensually around Violette's and tangled her slim fingers up in the shy teen's amethyst tresses. "Mmph!" Violette squeaked beneath the kiss, her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. The snow haired female's eyes bored right into Violette's, glinting with mischief and playfulness. She deepened the kiss further, sliding her tongue over Violette's and teasing the roof of her mouth with its tip.

Just when Violette was certain she'd either pass out from lack of oxygen or die from shock, the kiss was broken. Rosa's fingers lazily slid out of her hair and her lips were removed from Violette's. "Okay, now I have a date with Leigh. I'll see you later." Rosalya told her, grinning once again. She waved bye-bye and whirled around, her long cascade of snowy tresses dancing behind her as she jogged away.

Violette slowly blinked, a hand rising to her mouth. She could barely believe what just happened. Rosalya kissed her! Rosalya just kissed her with tongue! All to get the attention of a boy. That wouldn't really work, would it? Maybe she should just muster up her courage and go say hi. But not now, she wasn't prepared to start a conversation just like that. Violette turned to leave as well, and found herself face to face with a cute green haired boy. "Hey there, I couldn't help noticing you and your friend…"


	8. Catalyst

** Author's Note: Not gonna change the rating of the entire fanfiction cause that'd be misleading, but this chapter is rated M. **

_This is wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. _

The word repeated itself endlessly in Rosalya's head and she could not deny the accusation. She could not excuse what she hadn't quite done yet. No, no, there was no excuse in the world that would make this okay. Yes, Leigh was distant with her. Yes, she was lonely even when they were together. So lonely that it confused her. So lonely that it made her cry at night. Yes, she truly had feelings for this other man. Yes, she had been drinking tonight. None of that would ever be a justifiable excuse.

Her watery amber eyes slid to the man at the edge of the bed. He was fumbling to get the foil wrapper off a condom.

_Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. _

Rosalya studied the strokes of permanent ink on his back that curved surreally into the hybrid wings of an animal that never was. Lysander had been drinking too. But it was no excuse, oh no. The term "liquid courage" was all too appropriate here. Lysander didn't normally touch alcohol at all. It was purely the final stepping stone that allowed the real journey of sin to be possible. An empty pretense between the two of them to yield to the feelings that had been growing inside them for months.

_Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. _

Lysander crawled across the cheap cotton duvet, breathing noisily in the otherwise still air. Stagnant air. It was thick with all the memories of offenders who'd committed the act they were about to in this gaudy motel room. He traced her cheek with delicate fingertips as he naturally fell into position above her.

_Lysander loves me. _

He hesitated. His eyes were wavering in conflict. It must have only been a trick of the shoddy dim lights, but Rosalya could swear that the warring emotions were divided by his bicolored gaze. The soft jonquil iris, turned an eerie bronze in the light, was begging her not to let him do this. This eye was stark with guilt and raw shame for what he hadn't yet done, and it pleaded with her to put an end to this romantic mistake before it could go any further. His limpid shamrock iris, turned to a murky green in the light, was just the opposite. It begged her to give him total permission. It yearned to touch her and to be touched by her, it gleamed with all the love he'd grown to feel and the fierce lust he wanted only her to soothe.

_Leigh loves you. _

_This is wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong._

_Do. Not. Do. This. _

Rosalya flung her arms around Lysander's neck and crushed her mouth to his. She snaked her fingers through his wavy silver hair and pressed her palms to the smooth nape of his neck, their tongues locked in a hungry battle. A needy battle that they'd been anticipating for months now.

She pumped her hips up voraciously to meet his guilty thrusts and dragged her fingernails down his back. She scratched until she could feel Lysander's slick skin splitting under them, until she could feel his blood stain her digits. He was not nearly so rough with her, his hands firmly gripping her hips and fingernails only just dipping into her supple flesh.

Inarticulate moans and gasps blended into grunts and groans, choked cries beholding only the heat of the moment.

"Lysander," Rosalya murmured his name breathlessly, her lids falling closed. A single bitter tear escaped and traveled down her cheek. _Leigh, I'm sorry._ "Lysander!"


	9. CPR

** Author's Note: Got some interesting reviews for the last chapter of this and whatnot. So I guess I'm just reinforcing that all these little crappish oneshots here are crack. As in not intended to be taken seriously, or whatever. Sorry if I err…offended anyone? Dunno if that'd be the right word, but ya'll get what I'm saying here. **

** Also, to binaryguppy, I am so sorry I haven't yet included either of the pairings you suggested! That's pretty bogus on my part, since you always leave really nice reviews and I was the one who pmed you asking for suggestions in the first place. I promise I'll get around to those. **

Armin sighed heavily, dragging himself step by step. Today was one of the absolute worst days ever, no contest. The power at his house was out, his PSP wasn't charged, and Alexy was off shopping so he was left all alone in his excruciating boredom. In the most blatant of terms; this sucked.

For a change of pace, Armin had found himself outside. Though the temperature was quite warm and agreeable, the sky was bleak. That godawful sun was shrouded by a puffy blanket of faded silver. That was enough to make the outdoor conditions bearable.

Trying to make the best out of a bad situation, Armin walked to the beach. If he was in luck, he'd get to see pretty chicks in bikinis. And they might be doing stuff like splashing each other in the shallows, or rubbing sun tan oil on each other (it did not occur to him that this would be illogical on a cloudy day). That'd be an improvement on this horrible day. And hey, they might even decide to talk to him. That could even upgrade the day from horrible to not so bad!

Upon arrival, Armin sauntered casually across the sand, eyes peeled for girls. But the beach was totally barren. The raven haired teen heaved another sigh, his hopes dashed. Not only were there no pretty girls in bikinis, but there wasn't anyone around at all. That was no fun...

Wait...No, there was somebody. Armin tilted his head to watch the other beach occupant curiously. There was a surfer dude out there in the water. Somewhat interested, Armin slumped down to a sit and watched. As far as he could tell, the guy really knew what he was doing. He was riding on the crest of a wave that must have been at least twenty feet tall, but he cruising along nice and smooth. Almost like it was nothing.

But it had to take some serious effort to stay balanced like that, no matter how easy the guy made it appear. Fascinated and having nothing better to do, Armin kept watching the surfer. Visible spray splashed up behind as he zipped through the sea's apices and chased the uplifting currents under the rising foam. It then occurred to Armin that the surfer seemed to be stepping up his game. He was pursuing the bigger waves at any rate. It was quite impressive.

The raven haired teen mused that perhaps he'd been spotted and the surfer was showing off his skills. Ironically, as soon as the passing thought had crossed his mind, a distant hand lifted and waved. Armin found himself grinning as he waved back. But then there was an instant mood switch. Out of nowhere, a sweeping wall of blue overtook boy on the board, swallowing him up as the foam crashed against the shoreline.

"Whoa," Armin muttered to himself. That looked pretty wild, though he didn't actually think anything bad happened to the other beach occupant. Still, his sapphire orbs scanned the settling waters for the surfer. And there was nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. An uneasy feeling was starting to gather in the pit of his stomach. He stood up and trotted down to the shallows, wading in to get a better look. A periwinkle and white shape bobbed up and down on the dwindling waves and-Oh shit. A limp tan shape was bobbing right along with it.

Out of panicked impulse, the raven haired teen took off running through the water. He wasn't exactly sure what he would do when he reached the surfer, but he had to do something! He couldn't just sit back and let someone drown! It was got deep to actually run through now, so at this point Armin was in between partially swimming and rapidly flopping through the current.

By the time he reached the surfer, he was panting heavily and his feet could only just reach the sandy bottom. But he wasn't any paying attention to that trivial stuff, the motionless tattooed male before Armin had his full awareness. The boy was on his back and his chest was eerily, painstakingly still. Harsher, full-fledged panic sent Armin's heart hammering against the confines of his ribcage. His eyes darted around searchingly as if the ocean would give him the answer to this dire predicament.

An idea hit him, but it was a risky one that dropped a sinking weight into his stomach. CPR. Armin wasn't officially trained in that area, but he'd seen it in the Sims 2, and in the movies of course. He willed himself to calm down and focus on the task at hand. It was always done the same way, so how hard could it be? He'd have to go right on to the kiss of life, though, no matter how much his mouth did not want to meet another guy's. Chest compressions just weren't an option in the water. With shaking fingers, the raven haired teen opened the surfer's mouth and sucked in a long breath to transfer to him.

Mouth apprehensively meeting the limp male's beneath it, Armin tightly squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled. He nearly had a heart attack when almost immediately an eager tongue poked into his mouth. Strong fingers grasped his hair and jerked down, their lips smashing together harder and teeth clicking against each other as the surfer's tongue swirled around his own. "Mmph!" Armin's eyes snapped open.

Sea-green pools peeked open to meet his gaze, swimming with gleeful satisfaction for a moment. But that drained away and left raw horror in its place. The tanned boy released his sodden hair and quickly dipped under the waves. He surfaced a few feet away, sputtering and spitting repeatedly. "Bah! You're a guy!?" His eyes flashed to Armin again, incredulous and disgusted.

"Wh-What the!? Yes I'm a guy!" Armin gasped shrilly, wiping his own mouth. "What the hell was that!?"

"I thought you were a chick!" The surfer flailed his arms for emphasis. "What kind of guy dresses like that!? You are wearing booty shorts and a purple scarf!"

Okay...Maybe it was time for Armin to stop letting his gay brother shop for him. "Even if I was a girl, you shouldn't pretend to drown just to make out! That's just crazy! You scared the crap out of me!"

The surfer sighed, running a hand through his sun-bleached hair. "Eh, I guess that was a little too far. Sorry about that."

"Me too." Armin awkwardly tugged on his scarf. He could still feel the salty taste against his lips and invasion of the boy's tongue. Ugh. He needed mouthwash now. And yet, he was nearly shaking with relief. The surfer had never actually been in any danger. For a moment there, he'd really thought that he'd seen someone die.

"Well, thanks for trying to save my life anyway, uh...?"

"Armin."

"Thanks for trying to save my life, Armin. Name's Dakota by the way." He gave a nod and then took off swimming for the surfboard, which the waves had been slowly carrying away during their encounter. Armin turned and started back for land. Nothing good ever came out of going outside. Ever. Hopefully the power at his house would be back on by now.


	10. Confidence Boosting

**Author's Note: This crap is actually inspired by something that happened to me last week. Except I'm not in a band. I was just reading at a poetry slam. But I was still as nervous as hell and my friend helped me get over it xP **

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, as in the very next day. Nineteen hours from now, she would be on stage in front of a (hopefully, for the school's sake) large crowd. All of her friends would be depending on her to do well. She couldn't make a single mistake, or else she'd let everyone down. That alone sent the nervous butterflies in her stomach fluttering. So she'd been practicing. Practicing every day for two weeks, both with the others and when she was at home.

Iris urgently hoped that her efforts would pay off. As far as playing the guitar went, she honestly found herself a decent player. But decent might not be good enough to cut it. She'd made several mistakes at the last group practice the day before, on three very important notes! Iris had spent the rest of last night practicing to remedy the errors. She'd plucked and strummed until her fingers bled, as evidenced by the multi-colored bandaids now wrapped around three of the fingers on her right hand.

_Perhaps I overdid it just a little_, thought Iris, smiling sheepishly to herself as she studied her fingers. Then the soft presence of a hand on her shoulder alerted Iris, and she shifted her eyes to meet twin pools of limpid cerulean. "Hi, Melody. How's it going?" She shuffled back against the lockers and faced the brunette with a smile.

"I came to ask you that," Melody replied. "Nathaniel mentioned that you were stressed at practice yesterday. Is everything okay?"

"Oh." Had it really been that obvious? "Well, kinda," Iris admitted. "But everything's okay," she waved her bandaid-decorated hand in a dismissive gesture. "I'm just a little jittery about the concert. I've never played in front of a crowd before."

Melody's eyes followed the bandaged digits and she lightly took the orange-haired teen's hand. "You're not practicing until your fingers go raw, are you?" She studied Iris with slight concern.

"No!" Iris shook her head vehemently, her short carrot braid bouncing. "They're not raw at all, I just got a couple of cuts." She breathed a self-conscious chuckle, sea green orbs shifting to the flawless, smooth hand that held her own.

"That's still not good, Iris." Melody clicked her tongue in gentle disapproval.

"I know. But I have to practice as much as I can! The concert's just around the bend! Literally, it's tomorrow!" There were those butterflies again. There was a whole swarm of them, blindly bumping into each other as they rapidly fluttered left and right in Iris's knotted insides.

The brunette tilted her head and seemed to remember she was holding Iris's hand up. She dropped it. "Yes…But I thought you were looking forward to it. Everyone else is…"

"I _am_ looking forward to it," said Iris earnestly. "I'm just kinda nervous. I really, really have to be good, you know? If I make a mistake I could mess up the whole thing for everybody." Iris wasn't normally the type to get so apprehensive, but this time it couldn't be helped.

Melody appeared confused. "Iris…I stay after school almost every day. I've heard you guys practicing. You sound great," her lips curved up into a smile, "Everyone does."

Iris couldn't resist returning such a pretty smile. "I do? Thanks. But I still made some mistakes yesterday, and the day before that, and I think the day before that…" The smiled dropped from her face, anxiety resetting her features.

Melody gave a little shake of the head. "You're worrying too much. Really." She put her hands on Iris's shoulders and gave a gentle, comforting squeeze. "You're going to be fine, Iris. Better than fine, you're going to do great and everyone is going to have a really good time." The brunette's cerulean eyes glimmered kindly and sweet sincerity showed in her smile. "Even if the highly unlikely possibility that you miss a note or two occurs, it won't ruin everything. I doubt anyone would notice."

"Really?" Iris began to relax, soothed under the other girl's certainty.

"Really." Melody nodded assuringly and released her shoulders. "Do you feel better now?"

"Yep," she chirped, "Thanks Melody." The orange-haired female embraced her friend gladly, feeling greatly more confidence than she had a few minutes ago. Melody let out a little, surprised sound that indicated she didn't expect the hug. She then chuckled and warmly hugged back. "You're welcome."

* * *

Today. Today, as in the very day that was going by with each tick of the secondhand. Nine minutes from now she would be standing in front of a (thankfully, for the school's sake) large crowd. All of her friends would be depending on her to do well. She couldn't make a single mistake, or else she'd let everyone down. That alone sent the butterflies Melody had soothed yesterday fluttering nervously in her stomach again. She'd practiced all she could, and all she could do was hope that it would pay off, because now there was no more time for that.

Taking a deep breath, Iris started down the hall. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh..."

"Getting nervous?" Marcese strolled into view and offered Iris a little smile. The orange-haired teen quickly shook her head. She couldn't let herself be nervous, that would make it worse. "N-No! N-Not at all!" She held up her hands defensively and plastered on a smile to appear more convincing. Marcese simply chuckled. "Don't worry, everything will be great!"

That's what Lysander kept saying. And that's what Melody managed to reassure her of yesterday, for awhile at least. Mumbling the former to Marcese and politely excusing herself, Iris skittered to the girl's bathroom. She turned on the sink and cupped her hands beneath the faucet, breathing a sigh as the cool water pooled in her palms. She splashed it up to her face in an attempt to cool her nerves. Or her cheeks at the very least. She could feel them burning. "Just gotta take a breather..."

She closed her eyes, willing the clenched knots in her stomach to loosen. _It's going to be fine. I won't make any mistakes. I just need to go out there and give it all I've got. _

The bathroom door creaked open and closed, bringing Iris out of her mental preparation. "Hi," she greeted, sheepishly turning to the other restroom occupant. "Hey," Melody replied, walking over and resting a hand on Iris's back. "Six minutes until showtime. Rosalya's got your outfit ready. You'd better get to the basement, Iris. Everybody else is waiting on you." The orange-haired teen instantly stiffened.

"But you're not holding them up," Melody added quickly.

"O-Okay," Iris's breath came out in a whoosh. "Guess I'll go now then."

"If you're still nervous when you get on stage, you can look at me," said Melody, as she gently patted Iris on the back. "I'll be right in the front row. So if the whole crowd gets too overwhelming, you can just focus on me alone."

"Thank you." Iris gave her an appreciative nod and then ducked out of the bathroom, quickly heading down to the basement. She was somewhat uncomfortable with the outfit Rosalya had for her, an interesting getup consisting of a plaided plum vest, a cropped black tank top, purposefully frayed (and unsettlingly short) orchid shorts, and fishnet gloves. She also had to let her hair down and keep the kinky, carrot tresses pinned back with two identical barrettes. Iris actually found these to be the best part of her outfit. They had cute little bows on them, which matched her vest.

Iris's heart pounded against her chest as the blinding illumination from stage lights washed over her. For a moment, it was so dazzlingly bright that Iris couldn't see any of the audience at all. But then the lights dimmed, her eyes adjusted, and there was Melody in the front row. The brunette teen smiled right at her and gave her a thumbs up. She smiled right back, and along with the others, began to play.


	11. Codes

** Author's Note: Mentions of Kentin/Nina, even though I didn't really do anything with them in prior writing. ****Also, I'm not an expert on the meaning of flowers, so some of the meanings mentioned may be a little off base. I found out what I could with the internet and my mom's gardening magazine. I also got the original idea for the whole flower language thing from the InoHina fic, _If You Know What I Mean_, by Dustbunny3. **

"So do you wanna come over? There's not too much to do, but we could watch movies or something." Kentin glanced to Alexy. The blue-haired teen seemed to be off in another world though, chin in his hands and cerise gaze cast out the window. He'd been doing that a lot lately. It was quite frustrating for the brunette when he was trying to get his friend's attention.

"Earth to Alexy."

No response.

Kentin poked him in the arm with a pencil.

No response.

"Hey Alexy, Castiel and Nathaniel are having a stripping contest."

"Hm?" Alexy dropped his hand back to the desk and turned to Kentin. The brunette lifted a brow. "Man, what is up with you lately? You're all off in space and daydreamy." The blue-haired teen's mouth turned down into a pout. "I am not." Kentin rolled his eyes. "Yeah you are, but whatever. You want to come over after school?"

Alexy shook his head. "No. I'd like to, but I've got stuff to do in the gardening club today." Kentin raised a brow in disbelief. "Really? That's what you said yesterday and the day before."

Alexy shrugged. "What can I say? It's a really time consuming club. There's so much that's gotta be done with plants."

"Yeeeah. You know I'm in that club too, and they usually only ask me to participate about once a week."

"Well…I don't _have_ to. But Jade could use the extra help, you know?" Faint rosy warmth colored the blue-haired teen's cheeks and he was smiling in a soft, bashful way. Kentin reached an instant realization.

"Oh, I see now." The brunette chuckled. "You like him, don't ya Alex?"

"H-Hey, I didn't say that," Alexy protested meekly, his cerise orbs shyly wavering.

"You didn't have to, it's written all over your face! You liiiiiiike him," Kentin drawled teasingly. He seized the opportunity in a heartbeat, happy to have the tables reversed. Normally it was Alexy who teased him.

"So what if I do? You jelly?"

Kentin wrinkled his nose. He was perfectly comfortable with Alexy's preferences, but he didn't share them. "Pfft, yeah right."

"Oh yeah, cause you have a crush on Lysander's stalker-excuse me, I mean fangirl. The one in middle school." It was yet again Alexy's turn to laugh and Kentin's turn to blush.

* * *

Alexy shuffled his way to said club shortly later, clucking his tongue idly as he glanced around. Behind glass doors, the recently familiar mop of green hair under a chamoisee hat snared Alexy's gaze. He grinned a little in simple elation and strode into the greenhouse. "Hey."

Jade turned and waved a gloved hand in greeting. "Hey Alexy, how's it going?"

Oh god, he was smiling at him. That smile, that pure white and painfully charming smile was Alexy's undoing. "Heh, it's going. Do you need help with anything?" Jade shook his head. "No, not today. It's thanks to you that I don't though. You've been helping me with the plants all week." The irresistible smile broadened and moss-green eyes brightened enthusiastically. "I'm ahead of schedule now and I actually have some free time on my hands, all thanks to you."

"Really? Well that's cool, I'm glad I could help." Alexy was glad he could help, of course. But he was also a little disappointed. Without anything to do in the club, he really didn't have an excuse to hang around with Jade.

"Since we don't really have anything left to do, I'm gonna go grab some lunch. Do you wanna come?"

Say what!? Jade was inviting him out!? Alright! This was awesome! Wait…No, not awesome! His brother had weaseled away Alexy's wallet to go buy another dumb game. Hypertension Uranus, or something like that. Now he had yet another reason to curse Armin's obsession.

"Thanks. I wanna go, but I can't." The blue-haired teen sighed and hung his head in defeat. "I'm broke. I don't enough have enough to eat off the dollar menu."

"Oh no, you misunderstood me," Jade breathed a laugh. "I'm treating you."

Alexy's head snapped up again, grin beaming. "Alright, cool! Where are we going?"

Jade shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. I didn't really have any particular place in mind."

"The food court at the mall sells some nifty looking, giant pretzels. How about it?"

Jade nodded agreeably. The blue-haired teen didn't waste any time dragging him off.

* * *

"That was really salty."

"Not bad though, right?" Alexy frowned. He'd feel awful if Jade didn't like the food, since he'd been nice enough to pay and let Alexy pick the place.

"Nope, not bad at all." The green-haired teen shook his head. "But I'm gonna go grab a soda, I'll be right back. Do you want anything else?"

"It depends," Alexy tittered. "What are you offering?" Now was as good a time as any to be bold. Jade clearly took the hint and slowly leaned across the table, the distance between them shortened to mere centimeters. His lips hovered a delicate breath away from Alexy's, and right when the blue-haired male was certain they weren't going to touch, Jade kissed him. Soft, supple lips brushed against his own. Pressing back into the chaste meeting of mouths, Alexy's eyes fluttered closed. He savored the uncanny taste of salt and clover.

Breaking apart, they steadily slid back into their seats. Alexy was certain the grin he wore matched the one of impish delight on Jade's face.

"I don't really need that soda anymore," he said. Alexy breathed a chuckle. And just like that, idea struck him. It was one of those beautiful, eureka moments. One of those lightbulb-over-your-head brilliant ideas, and the timing couldn't have been better. "There's a pretty cool flower shop here," he piped up. "It's pretty big and they've got a good variety. I was thinking about browsing for something different to put in the gardening club. Do you mind if we go?"

Moss-green orbs blinked, glinting with mild incredulity. "Well that sounds nice, but we spend most of our time around plants. Are you sure you don't want to do something else?"

"We can," said Alexy, "Later. The flower shop is just a really good one, so it'd be a shame not to seize the opportunity." He fiercely, fiercely hoped that there would _be_ a later.

"Alright," Jade agreed, smiling again. He stood up and motioned for Alexy to lead the way. Feeling a mingled sense of relief and exultation, the blue-haired teen stood up and did just that.

"Wow, it is really nice in here." Jade was clearly impressed upon entering the flower shop. It was quite larger than the average one, and clearly well maintained. The scents of various flowers blended together and waifed through the air, which in itself was pleasant and cool.

"Told you," Alexy grinned. Now that he was about to put his plan into action, he was feeling a bit flustered.

"You did." Jade grinned back and began to stroll through an aisle of marigolds. Taking a breath, Alexy meandered not-so-coincidently to the shelf of chrysanthemums. The green-haired gardner had taught him all about the language of flowers, and the red chrysanthemum was the perfect choice to ask the question he wanted, without even speaking a word.

He scanned over the cluster of flowers, peering through the yellows, violets, whites, oranges, and ah-reds. With nerves fleeting, Alexy plucked a deep cardinal chrysanthemum and sidled his way back to Jade.

He held it out to him wordlessly, but the silent red petals spoke volumes. _"Start a relationship with me?"_

Jade carefully accepted the flower and took a moment to study it. A docile, smooth smile had lifted the corners of his mouth when his eyes met Alexy's. He held up a finger as a gesture to wait, and then left the aisle.

Alexy waited, feeling just a little bit anxious as the gardner walked away.

A few moments later, someone tapped his shoulder. He turned, cerise pools fixing on the white camellia Jade held out for him. He took the pure, spotless flower and recalled its meaning as soon as his fingers curled around the stem. _"You're adorable." _

Alexy blushed, taking that as a compliment. But compliment or not, it wasn't an answer. He shook his head and grabbed Jade by the hand, dragging him down to another aisle. His eyes searched through the bushels of daisies, and the bouquets of dahlias. They settled on a sunshine yellow daffodil, which he picked and passed to the green-haired male.

_"I'm not sure what that means." _

Jade chuckled and lead Alexy down to a row of violets. He took a single, snow-white violet. But to the blue-haired teen's surprise it was not given to him. Instead, he was pulled down to another aisle. Small trees sat in dirt pots, waiting to be taken outside and planted in the ground that they belonged in. They were all flowered trees, and the floor beneath them was a lovely decoration of fallen petals. Jade gingerly stole a lone, pastel-pink peach blossom from a twisted branch and held it out with the snowy violet.

_"I'm all yours, let's take a chance."_

Letting out a placid sigh of relief and happiness, Alexy tipped his head back to receive another, longer, kiss.


	12. Crashing

** Author's Note: I'm tweaking with my writing style again. Humor me, maybe? And for those who don't know, Viktor is the dude in the Amor Sucre manga. I dunno much about that dude, since I don't even have the manga and I only read part of the first chapter on some site with bootleg translations. Hence, he's probably OOC. And I think I just raped physics…So I suppose I shall apologize for this particular segment of crap, and go find a corner to hide my shame in. **

Viktor was, by all means, a responsible person. Especially when it came to driving. His motorcycle was his most prized possession, and he simply refused to lose it to a careless accident. So he always had his eyes sharp and ready to pinpoint any possible oncoming hazard. He even kept track of things that didn't seem hazardous, but could easily become so under unfavorable conditions. He also obeyed every traffic law ever in place, and avoided any large vehicles with unsettlingly ample blind spots.

The last thing he ever expected to do that evening was get in an accident. He was cruising on through a small, residential neighborhood of all places. A calm, uneventful, and generally safe area. Placid premises or not though, Viktor's gaze was still as keen and careful as ever. Turning a corner, he did indeed spot a hazard. Unfortunately this was one not even the ever-observant future businessman could avoid.

A streak of brown-black darted right into the road, right into Viktor's path. The more rational thing to do, sadly, would be to just run over the dog. But hurting animals wasn't on Viktor's agenda, even with the only-split-second decision he was given to make this call. The second decision of whether or not to swerve or brake took another millisecond. He'd settled on both, but managed only the former.

Tires screeched, leaving unsightly black stains on the pavement for the transient moment that the two were in contact with each other.

And then the squealing front tire acquainted itself with the curb.

It was, by all means, a violent introduction.

Something crunched and then Viktor was airborne, colors twirling past his vision until his flight ended at the mercy of a wire fence. There was a quick, loud _clink _and then he bounced from that onto the broken sidewalk. The air whooshed right out of his lungs and the colors that had been racing across his vision a second ago were now just a stationary picture of blurs. Fuzzy blackness bordered them, wavering just as things started to sharpen up. The blackness wasted no time in completely taking over.

"…alright!?" A panicky male voice, a hesitant hand on his shoulder.

Viktor's eyes creaked open and flitted up to the pale redhead apparently crouched by him. He awkwardly shifted his weight onto his hands and pulled himself up on his knees, fighting back against a lightheaded sensation. Everything hurt everywhere. With each heartbeat, there was aching. But he could cope with it. "I think so..." A constant throb had quickly taken residence in between Viktor's temples, and judging from the raw, blazing sting he felt under one knee, he'd cut himself pretty wide. That was it as far as particular placements of pain went. Otherwise, everything just fucking hurt.

"Are you sure? I'm really sorry about that! I can call someone for you, if you need me to, or I-"

"Stop. Talking." Viktor silenced the redhead with a firm gesture. This guy yapping on and on for a mile a minute was NOT helping his headache. Swallowing down a groan, he dug out the gravel imbedded in his palms and gingerly lifted off his helmet, unable to resist a wince. Warm wetness, presumably released from the protective confines, traveled its way down to his neck. Viktor wearily sighed and looked over to the redhead, analyzing him with incisive, harvest gold orbs.

He was about Viktor's age, wearing leather and a loose red shirt. Rather pallid and wide-eyed, for not being the one that actually went flying. But what was most relieving, was that he had the dog. Its tail thumped softly up and down on the ground, its dark brown eyes staring toward Viktor.

"Haven't you ever heard of a leash?" He looked back to the dog's owner.

"H-Hey, he got out, okay? It could happen to anyone. I said sorry."

"Apologies don't cover damages." Damages which Viktor had yet to asses. Urgently hoping they were minimal, he rose to a stand. Another lightheaded sensation sent his head whirling and his stomach churning. For one short, horrible moment Viktor actually feared he might vomit. But the feeling subsided enough to control and he pushed on to his fallen motorcycle.

"Are you sure you're alright? You're bleeding and walking kinda weird…"

"Just sore," he mumbled back to the dog owner. It was a little difficult to be certain considering the entire vehicle was upside down, but thankfully the damage did _seem_ minimal. Some dents here, some dents there. A broken light, a totally shattered windshield. It was still bad enough to make Viktor cringe, but it was repairable. And that was the important part.

He could probably even drive it home. Lifting it was another matter.

"Hey you, do you suppose you could help me with this?" He turned the redhead.

"Uh, I could call someone to tow it." He held up a cellphone.

"No thanks. I'd rather drive it back myself. Towing would be another unnecessary cost." Realizing the dog owner who'd caused today's misfortune wasn't going to be of any help, Viktor bent over and took the handles. He'd try to pull it up himself.

One tug and he realized that was never going to work.

One tug and brilliant white stars danced across his vision, before they were swallowed by the fuzzy blackness that came back again to visit.

* * *

The first thing Viktor realized upon waking up was that he was in a hospital. There was no mistaking the stark white walls, the stiff-as-a-rock pillow, or the thin, scratchy blanket.

The second thing Viktor realized upon waking up was that he was not alone. There was no mistaking the acrid stench of cigarette smoke and the gauzy, gray cloud that billowed across his sightline.

He followed the trail of smoke to the redhead from earlier. Hunched over in a plastic chair with his jacket draped around his shoulders as opposed to being properly worn.

"Are you seriously smoking in a hospital?" What nerve to do such a thing. What nerve and stupidity.

Viktor's voice must've startled him because he jumped in his seat and nearly dropped the offending cigarette, coughing on the cloud of pale gray he'd been a moment away from exhaling. He then turned to Viktor and put his cigarette out by crudely snuffing it against the arm of the plastic chair. "Hey, if you thought you'd killed somebody, you'd be smoking in a hospital too."

The slightest of smiles touched Viktor's lips. "If I were dead, I wouldn't be in a room. I would be in the morgue."

"I meant earlier, smart ass," the redhead replied, looking all the more indignant "First you terrify me me by being out after the crash. Then you come around and say you're alright, so I'm feeling pretty damn good I didn't kill you. Then you go and pass right out again on top your bike. Nearly gave me a heart attack."

Viktor lifted a single jet-black brow and sat up. "You say that as if it were all my fault." Alright, maybe sitting wasn't the best idea right now. The nagging lightheaded feeling came back with a vengeance. It must've been obvious, because the next thing he knew, the dog owner was easing him back down. Viktor blinked up at him dubiously. Clearing his throat with an awkward _ahem_, the redhead drew his hands away and went back to his chair. "Uh, doctor said you're not supposed to do that so fast..."

This brought forward a torrent of questions the future businessman scolded himself for not thinking to ask earlier. "What else did this doctor say? How long was I out? Why are you still here? Why are you _allowed_ to be here?"

"He said you got a concussion and had to stitch your leg up, but other than that you're good to go. Said you could bail here whenever, as long as you sign some stuff and take it easy. You were in and out for nearly an hour. I'm here because...Well..." He scratched the side of his head. "I guess I wanted to thank you for not hitting my dog. So thanks."

Viktor mulled all of this over and breathed a sigh through his nose. This turnout wasn't so bad. He could always use an excuse to relax. "You're welcome, I suppose. But you didn't tell me why you're allowed to be here."

"Told them I was your brother," the redhead replied with a smirk.

He gave the dog owner a pointed stare.

"What? They wouldn't have let me come with you otherwise. It's not that big of a deal."

"Fine. I hope you didn't give them any other false information."

"Well I did tell them our parents worked on a crab boat," he replied, "But you can't blame me for that. The last thing I need is your real folks getting called, coming up here and suing me."

Viktor's eyes lit with nominal interest. Did this stranger know who he was? "Suing you? Where did you get that idea?"

The redhead snickered and pulled an object out from under the chair, waving it back and fourth with a smug little smirk on his lips. "Saw your wallet, bro. There's like twenty credit cards in here. You're a rich kid."

Ah, that was it. He should have figured. "So who are you really?"

"Castiel."

"I'm Viktor."

Castiel chuckled softly. "Yeah I know. Saw your wallet, remember?"

* * *

Viktor figured he'd ended up signing about ten forms before they finally let him out. He'd called for a ride and now all he had to do was wait. Oddly enough, he did't mind loitering outside the hospital doors. The sun was setting and the sky was dyed with swirling pinks and oranges. It made for a nice picture. The kind that they'd show in an art gallery for awhile, and later put on five by five postcards. The bark of a large dog stole the future businessman's attention from nature's chef-d'œuvre. Castiel was untying it from the handicap-parking sign it'd been secured to.

"Leaving?"

The redhead nodded. "Yeah, we've got a long way to walk."

"Then why don't you just wait for the cab? I can pay your fare." Viktor leaned back against the concrete wall, mentally smirking at the way Castiel perked up. It was almost cute.

"A cab? No limo?" Scarlet brows arched a fraction.

"I prefer not drawing attention to myself at the moment."

A pause. A nod. "Makes sense." Castiel unwound the last segment of leash from around the sign and held it tight as he sauntered over. "But how come you're being so nice to me?"

"I don't trust you not to let go of that dog again."


End file.
